At Tuesday’s UFC Fight Pass-streamed event at The Ultimate Fighter Gym in Las Vegas, Espinosa (13-5) scored a TKO win over fellow flyweight Riley Dutro (11-4) at the 4:58 mark of the final round.

For Espinosa, who also quickly choked out Nick Urso at DWCS 7 in 2017 but didn’t get a UFC contract, that finish – in the waning seconds of the bout – could’ve very well been the reason he finally secured a deal with MMA’s most prominent organization.

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Then again, a four-fight winning streak, an overall 9-1 run, and nine stoppages in 13 career victories also likely played a part for the 28-year-old CES MMA, Legacy FC and Jackson’s MMA Series vet. Still, when he finally got his win on Tuesday, he knew his fate was out of hands. So, what was he thinking?

“(Expletive), what else do I have to do, right?” Espinosa, who was one of two fighters who received UFC contracts on Tuesday, told MMAjunkie with a relieved smile. “I just think that if it had went to a decision, it probably would’ve been a lot less likely – or at least easier for them to justify not to bring me in.

After his first DWCS win – an 83-second submission victory over Urso – Espinosa left Las Vegas without a contract and with a little disappointment. So in his sophomore effort in the Tuesday-night MMA series, which serves as a sort of audition for UFC hopes, Espinosa focused simply on the things he could control.

“Honestly, I just trust in the training I put in in the gym,” he said. “I just try to come out and put in my best performance every time. And if I do that and I’m having fun, I think they’ll see that – (UFC President Dana White and matchmaker Mick Maynard) will see it. And good results will come.